Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-06-05
THE MAMMA.
EXPLANATORY NOTES BY S. |. CUR
TlSS, PHI. D., D. D.


Second Quarter, for sunday, june =.
Text of the Lesson. Ex. xvi, 4-12-Gol,l-
EN- Text, John vi, 80.
The Wilderness of Sinai.-After Israel's
great deverance they were introduced to
life in the wilderness of Sinai This wilder
ness is a triangle. Its base is $50 miles in
length. Its apex divides the Red sea into two
arms. The side on the western arm, known
as the CUR of Suez, extends 100 miles: the
side ON the eastern, called the Gulf of Akaba
Is l2OmieS in length Thus the peninsula of
Sinai contains an area of II 600 square miles
As the peninsula of Sinai extends like
wedge into the Red sea, 50 the desert of Et
| Tlh, which was the scene of the wanderings
of the children of Israel whose base is on the
Mediterranean, extends like wedge into this
same peninsula. The desert of Tt Till which
is also known as the Wilderness of Paran, is
divided into two nearly equal parts by the
Wady el Arish, or the river of Egypt the
western boundary of Israel's promised DOS
sessions, which has several branches, esue-
cially on the south and east sides From GAIA
to the foot of the Dead sea is the base of
another triangle which takes up the north
east corner of Et Til, and which was known
as the Negeb, or South country Here
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob dwelt
The most fertile part of this country, which
is inferior to the region above it, is the Negeb
the Wilderness of the Wanderings, Et Til is
comparatively sterile, and the Slnaitc penin-
sula produces but little vegetation except in
the wadies, or stream beds. 1t is believed,
however, by prominent geographers and ex-
plorers, for seemingly weighty reasons that
the Sinatic peninsula was once far more fer
tile than at present Even now more than
5000 Bedawin find at least partial subsist-
ence in it, although their provisions are, to
some extent, supplemented from Egypt
Doubtless the peninsula has suffered from
loss of trees, which were at one time ruth
lessly destroyed to furnish charcoal for ex-
pOrtation.
But we may not suppose, under any circum-
stances that the Sinaitic peninsula could have
begun to support 2,OOO,0O0 of people, or even
n lundredth part of that number, if they had
to depend on the resources of the country
Under Rameses III there were mines which
were worked on the west side of the PENN
sula. 1t may be that they were discontinued
under Metropolitan
1t is not possible to determine precisely the
route which the Israeites took After cross
ing the Red Sea they went three days with
out water, and then on coming to Marah
! found only that which was bitter The IRE
sence Of natrun in the soil makes the water
bitter. 1t is commonly believed that Elm is
| Wady Gharandel There they found twelve
springs of water and seventy palm trees EN-
XIV, 20. They could not always remain in
this delightful place. They passed on there
fore, to the wilderness of Sin.
At the end of six weeks the prospect seemed
most diScouraging. The congregation of
Israel was in the wilderness without food
! No wonder they tnurr1ural and bnt tha,-
forgot their hard bondage and longed for the
feshpots of Egypt Eek. xvi, 81.
THE LESSON
What was the Mama: ". 4.-Cod there
fore undertakes to make provision for his
people, and promises to rain bread from
heaven for them each day. There has been
much discussion as to what is intended here
10y the mama. Many think that it is the
product of the tamariSk tree, such as is found
to-day in small quantities. The yield is not
more than 800 or 200 pounds. Unless the
quantity was miraculously increased. like the
five loavcs and two fishes it could never have
furnished food enough for the Israeltes. Be
sides, this mama which comes from the tam
arisk tree is to be had only during two
| months.
The object of giving this food to Israel was
not only that God might preserve life, but
also that he might prove them whether they
would walk in his law or not
Y. >. Evidently the supply was miraculous.
On the sixth day they We're to make prepara-
tons for the seventh, for on that day there
was to be no fall of mama.
A Daily Reminder Tvs 6-S).-The people
were to have "A daily reminder of their de
pendence on God. In the beginning at even
they We're to know that the Lord had brought
them out of the land of Egypt, in the gift of
Quais. These We're to be furnished in such
numbers and abundance that they should rec
ognize that it was the direct provision of
Gods hand, and that the same hand which
had smitten the firstborn Of the Egyptians,
and had opened way through the sea for
them, was now feeding them. In the morn
ing they were to see u sight which had never
greeted their eyes before. They were to see
the ground covered with the pure white
mamma. This must have been a peculiarly
impressive spectacle to them, as in Egypt
they had perhaps never seen snow or hoar
frost, which the mama resembled lex.
xvi, IA.
They were reminded too, that God heard
their murmurings that these murmurings
were not directed against Moses, Gods serv-
ant, but against God himself
The Congregation Before Jehovah Tvs.
OLE. Heretofore the people had prob
ably been more or less scattered Now Aaron
bids them appear as congregation before the
Lord. While he is speaking to them they be-
hold wonderful sight. Looking toward the
wilderness they see the glory of the Lord APP
pear in the cloud, while he utters to Moses
almost the same words those which they
had already heard, and assures them that be-
tween the two evenings they shall eat flesh
and in the morning they shall be filled with
bread. In this way they were to know that
he was the Lord their God.
POINTS TO BE REMEMBERED.
l. The path to Canaan lay through the will
derness for the Israelites 1t may be our lot
to pass through the wilderness before we
reach the heavenly Canaan.
.. God appoints our lot IN life. II we muir
muir under trial we murmur against him.
3. God will provide for US if we trust in
him The psamist spoke the truth of the in
. sniratiop and axnarianpa vyhan h. said. AT